Reducing Waste in the Holiday Season

With consumerism comes a disposable society. We are so focused around having new things and throwing out the old. With Christmas just around the corner we are entering into the wasteful season. Gifts wrapped in paper that is more often thrown into the trash than the recycle. Toys cased within ridiculous amounts of plastic and paper. This time of year people become more mindless, and less mindful. Why not throw presents in gift bags that can be reused year after year? Or even boxes. While eco-friendly wrapping paper is available, reusing gift bags year after year saves money in the years to come, along with creating less waste. In our modern society is not just about going to the store and buying gift either, they arrive on your friend porch in boxes. Those boxes filled with load of unnecessary packaging. When the packaging is unavoidable be cautious to recycle whatever you can. While we cannot control if all the pieces in the Lego set come in multiple different bags, we at least need to take the time to make sure they end up in the right place. Reaching zero waste is all about everyone doing their part. Of course that means the producers doing their part to, to make their packaging more sustainable. Yes, some companies out there are using biodegradable packing peanuts and recyclable packaging but there is still loads of Styrofoam being used the package every day. So if you have done all you can to reduce, reuse and recycle, pass it on, remind a friend, tell your family. Going zero waste starts with one person and spreads.